A/N Sorry this chapter took so long! Both my coauthor and I had some real life issues come up that made it slow going for a few days. Plus, we've set a goal to average 10k words per chapter this time, and we are trying our best to stick to it.
Just a heads up, there is a conversation about God in this chapter that may upset some people. Please remember to take it in the context it was given, and that no disrespect was meant.
Reviews always welcome!
...
Chapter Three
This Monkey Hates me!
Kurt wasn't sure what to think about his dad and Carole being eliminated. On the one hand, he was sad to see them go because he had actually enjoyed competing against them. But he was also relieved that he didn't have to worry about his dad's health. And then there was the whole walking in on each other having sex thing…
He refused to finish that thought.
He and Blaine still hadn't actually had sex since the previous race, and to be perfectly honest, Kurt was getting a little desperate for release. He was glad that they hadn't stayed at the statue for their mandatory rest period, but had been shuttled to a nearby campground. He thought it would have been even more tacky having sex next to a statue of a God of Celibacy than it would have been having sex in Phil's family home.
He was standing on a small overlook, looking out at the world beyond them and it was just one of the most breathtaking views. Kurt melted when he felt Blaine come up and wrap his arms around him from behind, hooking his chin over his shoulder.
"I love you," Blaine said, pressing a chaste kiss to Kurt's cheek.
"I love you too," Kurt replied, turning his head so he could kiss Blaine properly. The kiss was sensual, but much more heated than he initially had intended. The pent up aggression from needed release was making arousal fire off in his nerve endings at the slightest indication that there could be something more.
To his credit, Blaine didn't seem to mind much, returning the kiss with just as much need as Kurt was giving him. The pale man could feel himself rapidly growing hard in his pants and he was so desperate for that release, he was almost tempted to drop Blaine's pants and ride the man right there on the overlook. But Kurt was sane enough to remember he had way more class than that.
"Maybe we should, take this back to our campsite," he said with a wink, breathless from being kissed senseless. His lips were already bruised, but he didn't care. He grabbed Blaine by the hand and started to pull him along behind him. Blaine hummed in contentment.
Setting themselves a bit apart from the rest of the group whenever they could had become the norm for them. Unlike Nick and Jeff, they weren't keen on the others overhearing their sexual antics.
Blaine set about zipping their sleeping bags together, all the while grinning at his boyfriend.
"Best way to stay warm and toasty," he said with a wink. Kurt smirked, taking his time to get comfortable before climbing in. Blaine slid in beside him and wrapped him in his arms. "Now, where were we?" he asked.
"Right about here," Kurt replied in a whisper, and attacked Blaine's mouth with his own. The moan it elicited was music to Kurt's ears and he shuddered.
Blaine's hands found their way into Kurt's fashionable but loose fitting sweatpants and he slid them partway down over the apple of the pale man's ass, moving to knead the perfect pale globes with his skilled fingers.
It was Kurt's turn to moan. "Blaaainnnee," he drew out, barely allowing their lips to part for those few seconds.
"Let me take care of you love," Blaine whispered. And he started peppering Kurt's face with butterfly kisses, causing the other man to giggle.
Neither man had forgotten how hot things had gotten in the dressing room at Burt and Carole's wedding and they had both been dreaming about getting to play that way again, but now was not the time or place. Now was the time and place for something quicker, just to take the edge off. And Blaine's fingers kneading into his ass felt so incredible, Kurt's eyes became half-lidded with lust.
"I am so tempted to finger you right now," Blaine said. Kurt moaned at the words, at the very idea of Blaine's fingers pumping in and out of him. He nuzzled his nose against the other man's cheek, his breath hot against Blaine's ear.
"Than why don't you?" he whispered hotly, gently biting the lobe and sucking on it for a few seconds before releasing it.
The moan that came out of Blaine's mouth was a very enticing sound and Kurt had to squeeze his eyes shut and bite down on his lip, fighting back the urge to come right then and there. He had no desire to come without the fun. Not this time.
"Because, I'd be too tempted to fuck that perfect little ass of yours, to make you cry with the feel of my head pressed into that tight bundle of nerves." Kurt couldn't keep himself together at the sound of Blaine's words. The man literally knew exactly how to make him come undone. "But sadly, we don't have the time or the privacy for that here," Blaine admitted. The words were accompanied by an expression like a wounded puppy, as though he was very sad at the thought.
Kurt groaned, dropping his head into Blaine's for a moment. "Goddamn universe," he said. Blaine smirked and squeezed his ass.
"But I can get plenty of fun out of you now," he admitted, winking. It was enough to perk them both up and they attacked each other's mouths again. The curly haired man continued to knead Kurt's ass and pulled him impossibly closer. The two men were flush against each other and they could both feel the friction of their erections pressed together, even through the layer of fabric that separated them from skin on skin.
It wasn't long until they started to rut against each other, Blaine still kneaded Kurt's ass, his kiss swallowing the other man's moans, effectively hiding their arousal from the surrounding campgrounds.
They were getting closer, closer to that ultimate release, and then…
"This looks like the perfect spot, Chandler."
Kurt and Blaine went still. There was no mistaking the voice of the pale man's ex. Kurt raised his head only slightly to see the two men setting up their own camp right beside them.
Chandler was looking around with an innocent expression, as though he was pretending he didn't know that Kurt and Blaine were nearby. "You're right Adam, this is definitely a much better spot than where we were originally," he said, trying and failing, to sound nonchalant.
Kurt growled, so low only Blaine could hear him, but Adam and Chandler's arrival was enough to effectively kill the mood for both of them. There was no doubt in either of their minds the other team had done it on purpose.
The pale man rolled onto his back and let out a frustrated groan. Blaine was just as frustrated, but focused all his attention on trying to soothe his boyfriend. However, he was not going to let the situation go unaddressed.
"You've got some nerve," Blaine said, sitting up with one hand on Kurt's forehead, stroking back his hair and trying to calm him.
Adam raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and put on an expression of innocence. Though Blaine noted it was the one emotion he was terrible at acting out.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said. "The spot where Chandler and I were originally, was very bumpy with tree roots poking through the ground, so we needed a new location."
"So you came here?" Blaine growled.
Chandler shrugged. Despite knowing that he was not innocent at all, Blaine had to give him credit for pulling it off more effectively than the Brit did. "The guy in charge of the grounds said this was the least rough area and was the best for people who didn't do well sleeping on the hard ground."
Kurt and Blaine knew he was telling the truth, because the guy had told them the same thing. But they also knew that it wasn't the real reason Adam and Chandler had chosen to set up camp there. They were well aware that Kurt wouldn't dare try anything sexual with Blaine while his ex-boyfriends were in close proximity. Not that he didn't want to rub it in their faces that Blaine could have what they wanted. He just didn't want to give them the satisfaction to getting off to the sounds of him in the throws of passion. They didn't deserve to hear him that way anymore.
"A non-existent God hates me tonight," Kurt muttered.
Blaine just hugged him closer. "God doesn't hate you, She just has a wicked sense of humor," he teased.
Kurt pulled back a little, to look at him in surprise. "Are my ears plugged up? Because I thought I just heard you refer to God as She."
Blaine grinned. "God has to be a woman. Think about it, a man would get too distracted thinking about sex to have finished creating the world in seven days."
The pale man was silent for several moments. And then, out of nowhere, he burst into laughter. When he thought about how seriously Blaine had said that, it only made him laugh harder. "Oh...my...Gaga...Blaine!" he choked between giggles.
Blaine laughed and kissed his nose. "At least I made you laugh!"
…
"Lord Hanuman, also known as the Monkey God, is one of the most revered gods in the Hindu pantheon. This fifty foot tall statue depicting him was the second Pit Stop in a race around the world! The ten teams waiting here have no idea what is awaiting them.
"Tina and Mike, who were the first to check in at 10:33 am, will depart at 10:33 pm!"
…
Tina smiled as she opened the clue on the PA's signal, excited to see where they were headed next. Nick and Jeff, Kurt and Blaine, and Wes and David were waiting off to the side for their turn to depart. They were all wearing raincoats, as a steady drizzle soaked the area.
"Fly to Bangkok, Thailand!" They read together.
"My uncle lives in Thailand!" Mike exclaimed. "Not in Bangkok, though. He lives in Lampang."
All four teams reached the airport within minutes of each other, and all ended up at the Malaysian Air ticket counter.
"We'd like tickets on the first flight to Bangkok, Thailand, please," Mike said.
The older man at the counter nodded and consulted his computer. "The first flight is at six thirty, tomorrow morning."
The four teams exchanged a look and shrugged. Looked like they would be spending the night in the airport. Nick and Jeff and Kurt and Blaine managed to get on the flight, but when Wes and David reached the counter, they were informed the flight was now full, and ended up on a flight that was supposed to depart thirty minutes after the first.
They made their way through the security checkpoint, and found an alcove where they could set up their sleeping bags as they waited for the other teams to arrive. As most of them had napped earlier, they weren't all that sleepy, and sat up to chat with each other for a while. Nick and Jeff took some good natured teasing about the aquarium incident.
Jeff blushed at the teasing, but Nick just grinned. "You can't honestly say Jeff and I were the only ones getting some action last night. Did you know you make little hiccuping sounds when Mike kisses your neck?" he teased Tina.
"Is that what that noise was?" David asked, sounding embarrassed. "I thought it was a raccoon or some kind of animal!"
"And Mercedes, I know you are still a virgin," Santana said, "But you have this habit of giggling guiltily whenever Sam cuddles you at night."
Mercedes blushed a bit and scooted a little closer to Sam. The blonde man took ahold of her hand and gently squeezed it.
Kurt and Blaine looked at each other, both raising an eyebrow. What was up with the rest of them and having no qualms about being intimate where the others could hear them? Were they the only ones with any decency? However, it appeared that not even they were going to be safe from this discussion.
Santana wasn't finished talking. The smirk on her face had grown and she turned to look at Kurt and Blaine with a knowing look. "Apparently, our boys over there have a kink fetish. Brittany and I accidentally caught Blaine with a ball in his mouth."
The two men stared at her in horror. Neither of them could believe she had the nerve to say that. Their one small saving grace was the fact that she neglected to mention when this had happened.
Wes and David were beginning to look a little uncomfortable at the discussion, but Santana just turned a knowing eye on them. "And don't think I don't know what you two were doing when you each thought the other was asleep last night!"
Wes sputtered around the water he had been drinking and nearly choked on it. He turned pale, so much so that he looked whiter than Kurt was naturally, which was a feat within itself. "Wh-what?" he managed to get out.
David, however, seemed to be much more practiced at taking things in stride, even if his eyes betrayed how he was really feeling. "Hey, just because we're platonic friends, doesn't mean we don't also need to get our rocks off from time to time. How would men survive without a girlfriend?" he said, though Blaine detected the slight hint of shakiness in the dark skinned man's voice.
"David!" Wes scolded. The Asian man fidgeted in a way that made him look even less put together than he usually was. "I'm going to go...read...the...bathroom," he said, not noticing he'd spoken complete nonsense. He turned around and walked away hastily.
…
"My girlfriend broke up with me just before I came on the race. Courtney said I was afraid of intimacy, and that I had commitment issues. Maybe she's right. It's not that I don't enjoy...that. But I was always taught that that was something you really only do with someone you truly love, but how do you know if you are really in love with someone?"
...
As the night wore on, what had started out as just a mild rainstorm grew into a full blown tropical depression, with howling winds, and lightning lashing the sky.
At six in the morning, an announcement came over the loudspeaker stating that all flights were delayed until further notice. Eight of the ten teams ended up enjoying a large breakfast together in one of the airport restaurants. Adam and Chandler were also there, but had chosen a booth across from them. Kurt had no idea where Sue and Becky were.
As they ate, Kurt noticed Tina and Mercedes once again had their heads together and seemed to be having a whispered conversation. They'd done that several times during the Pit Stop the afternoon before. It wouldn't have really registered with the pale man, except that they had broke apart with guilty expressions on their face when he had approached them. And now they pulled apart when they realized he was watching them. Those two were up to something, he was sure, but let it go for now.
Finally, just before eight, the storm cleared, and they were allowed to board their flights. All three planes would be taking off and landing within minutes of each other.
…
"All teams are now flying to Bangkok, Thailand. Once there, they will travel by taxi to The Grand Palace to search for their next clue. Because this is an active temple, teams are asked to dress appropriately, arms and legs covered, and women wearing headscarves."
…
The first plane landed about a minute before what had been the third flight, and what should have been the second flight came in a few minutes later. Kurt and Blaine, Tina and Mike, and Nick and Jeff all scrambled for the taxis.
Tina (who had donned the peacock print scarf she had purchased in India last season,) and Mike were the first to arrive, with Nick and Jeff right behind them. Kurt and Blaine were just pulling up to the curb as the first two teams walked respectfully to where they could see the clue box, and another race stand with a symbol on it that took them a moment to recognize.
"Intersection!" Mike exclaimed.
…
"An intersection is when two teams must work together to accomplish all tasks until instructed to separate. If multiple teams reach the Intersection at the same time, they may choose who they wish to team up with. If two teams reach the Intersection at the same time, they must team up. If an odd number of teams arrive at the same time, one team must team up with the next team to arrive."
…
"I guess we're teaming up," Jeff said, reading the sign below the Intersection symbol. He smiled at Mike and Tina. They moved on to the clue box and took their envelopes.
"Roadblock! Who is Ready to Go To The Chapel?
…
"In this Roadblock, one team member from each team must work together to restore and decorate an altar to be used in the temple of the Emerald Budha. They must strip off the old paint and refinish it, and stencil a design on it in gold paint."
…
Kurt and Blaine reached them just as the other two teams finished reading the clue, frowning when they realized they wouldn't be able to proceed until another team arrived. Kurt knew it wouldn't be too long, all the flights had landed fairly close together. He just hoped the next team to arrive was anyone but Adam and Chandler or Sue and Becky.
Please let it be Sam and Mercedes! He thought to himself. Or Wes and David. Or Finn and Rachel. He'd even accept Santana and Brittany or Will and Emma.
He saw a taxi pull up near the entrance, holding his breath waiting to see who emerged, and letting it out on a string of curses when he spotted his exes heading towards them.
If Kurt was upset by this development, Blaine was even more so. Up till now, the other racers had been something of a living shield between them, and they hadn't had to interact with the two men, but they had made it perfectly clear, they wanted Blaine out of the way, so they could win Kurt back.
…
"I don't think I'm too far off calling those two stalkers," Blaine said, holding Kurt's hand. "How did they know Kurt would be coming on the race again, anyway? I wouldn't put it past them to have Kurt's apartment bugged."
Kurt blanched. "I'll be having my apartment thoroughly inspected by a professional when I return."
…
The other two men slowed when they spotted Kurt, and the Intersection symbol, both grinning.
"Well, well, well, alone at last!" Adam said in the Brittish accent Kurt had once thought of as endearing, but now just found annoying.
"Hardly alone," Blaine said. "There are four of us."
Adam glanced at him, as if only just noticing his presence. "Oh yes, the pet hobbit. He'll forget about you soon enough."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Let's just get this over with!"
After reading the clue, Blaine pulled Kurt aside and conferred with him privately. "What do you want to do?"
Kurt shuddered. "Just don't leave me alone with Chandler. That man turns into the most clingy octopus, and once he has his tentacles on you, he never lets go. I can handle Adam. He's always been all talk and no action."
Blaine nodded, and they moved back to the other team. "Which one of you is doing the roadblock?"
"I am," Chandler declared.
"Fine," Blaine said. "Guess you're with me, then." The hyper man seemed dismayed not to be paired with Kurt, but it was too late to switch now. They found the area where the task would be performed, and Kurt noticed that Tina and Nick were working together. It wasn't long until the other teams arrived. Santana and Brittany were joined with Finn and Rachel, Wes and David were with Sam and Mercedes, while Will and Emma were with Sue and Becky.
Santana and Finn actually worked well together, and quickly surpassed Blaine and Chandler. The latter seemed to refuse to cooperate with Blaine, and they were falling behind because of it.
"I don't know what you see in him," Adam said quietly beside Kurt. "He's short, and not really that good looking. It's because he's rich, isn't it? You're only in it for the money."
Kurt turned his most lethal Bitch face on the man. "You think insulting me is going to win me back? I don't need Blaine's money. Wouldn't take it even if he offered it. Blaine makes me laugh, makes me feel safe, and cared for. Unlike you, who constantly found fault with everything about me. When I auditioned for the lead in Return to Neverland and didn't get it, you said it was because I lacked ambition, and clung to my internship at Vogue like a security blanket. Well guess what? I love working at Vogue! I've really found my calling there! And I love Blaine! So get it through your thick skull that we are never getting back together! Don't make me start singing Taylor Swift!"
The Brit just grinned. "I've always loved how passionate you get." He lowered his voice. "Does Blaine know what a fireball you are in bed?"
Kurt raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. "I think he knows more about that than you do." Okay, so maybe that was a bit of a stretch. He and Blaine had only had sex a few times, and none of those had been in a bed, except the time Kurt had given Blaine a hand job on the last race.
Kurt managed to ignore the annoying man for a while as he watched Blaine and the others work. Santana and Finn were nearly finished, while Tina and Nick had a bit of a misstep when Tina accidentally spilled the varnish, and they had to get a new jar. Blaine was doing nearly all the work, since Chandler refused to cooperate, and did the least amount of work as he could get away with.
"Your partner does realize that by sabotaging Blaine, he's sabotaging himself, and you two could be eliminated because of it?" Kurt asked, without looking at Adam.
"Chandler!" Adam called out. "Stop goofing off and get to work! Or do you want to get eliminated?"
That was effective enough to get the other man to start cooperating more. Santana and Finn finished and received their clue, followed a few minutes later by Tina and Nick, who had recovered from their accident quickly. Blaine finished stenciling their altar, and waved the judge over to check their work. He gave them the thumbs up, and handed them each a clue.
Kurt hoped that would be the end of the intersection, but the clue said nothing about separating. He rolled his eyes when he realized they would still need to work with the other team.
"Locate the marked vehicles and drive to Prang Sam Yod in Tha Hin, and search for your next clue."
…
"I'm not driving that!" Tina said, spotting the large passenger vans with the race flag hanging from the rear view mirror.
"I'll drive," Jeff said. "I've actually driven something similar once, when we took the kids on a field trip."
The two teams and their camera crews climbed into the van. Jeff got behind the wheel, which was on the right side of the vehicle, since they drove on the left side of the road here, while Matt, their cameraman, was in the front passenger seat. Nick sat behind Jeff in the middle row, with Lauren, the sound person, beside him, while Tina and Mike and their camera crew, Ryder and Jake, took up the back bench seat.
Nick had the map, but all the signs were in Thai. "I can't read this. Mike, I know you said you speak the language. Does that mean you can read it too?"
He turned to look at the other man in the back seat, showing him the map. Mike looked at the symbols, and nodded. "Turn left at the second light ahead, and look for Route 32 north."
Jeff pulled up to the light and turned left, spotting the route marker almost immediately. He merged onto the highway, picking up speed. It was lunchtime rush hour, and traffic was thick, but not too bad, and they were able to move at a decent speed.
They had been driving for about ten minutes when it happened.
"What is this idiot doing?" Jeff asked, easing his foot off the gas as another vehicle began to merge into their lane before they had passed the van. There wasn't enough time to stop, and there was no room for them to swerve out of the way as the other vehicle caught the front bumper, forcing them into the guardrail on the passenger side with bone jarring force. There were screams from behind him, but Jeff stayed focused and kept the vehicle from spinning out or tipping over and causing a worse crash. He stopped the van out of traffic. The other vehicle had taken some damage to the back end, but didn't even stop.
"Is everyone okay?" Jeff asked, shaken.
He glanced behind him, first making sure Nick was okay, before glancing at the others. Matt had his eyes clenched shut and appeared to be praying. Ryder and Jake seemed to have been tangled up in their equipment, but otherwise seemed fine. Tina and Mike were holding on to each other tightly, and Tina was crying, but again they didn't seem to be injured.
Swearing from Lauren had Jeff looking her over. Her glasses were broken, and there was blood dripping from somewhere above her hairline where the boom mic had slammed into her head.
"Lauren?" Jeff asked. She looked at him, looking almost as pale as Kurt.
"I'm okay, I think," she said, voice uncharacteristically low.
Matt pulled out his cellphone to call for help, as Jeff spotted Kurt and Blaine pulling up in front of them. Both men exited their vehicle and raced back to the damaged van.
"Is everyone alright?" Kurt asked.
"Lauren might have a concussion, but everyone else is okay," Nick said, exiting the van. Sirens could already be heard approaching in the distance. "We'll be okay. You guys go on to the next task!"
"Are you sure?" Blaine asked, even as the van driven by Wes slowed down beside them.
Sam and Mercedes opened the windows to call out. "Do you guys need help?"
"We'll be okay! Go on! Help is on the way!"
Wes gave them a once over, noting Matt helping Lauren out of the vehicle and to the side of the road. "Good luck, guys!" He called out, before slowly moving on. Kurt and Blaine stayed for another minute just to make sure everyone else was okay, before returning to their vehicle and also moving on.
Nick hugged the blonde man, seeing how shaken up he was. "It's okay, babe, you did everything right! Things could have been a lot worse!"
…
"I've never been so scared in my life!" Jeff admitted. "It wasn't so much the fear of getting injured. It was knowing Nick and the others were in the van with me, and that they might get seriously injured, or worse. I don't know what I would do without Nick in my life!"
...
A police car pulled up, followed by a medic unit. Mike spoke with the officers, translating for the others, explaining about how the other vehicle had cut them off and clipped their front bumper, forcing them into the guardrail.
Having Mike there, speaking their language, really seemed to help, as the police officers were very sympathetic. The medics checked everyone over as they waited for their replacement vehicle. Other than a few scratches and bruises, everyone else was fine. They determined that Lauren did not have a concussion, but wanted to take her to the nearest hospital for x rays just as a precaution. She tried to refuse, but Jeff and Tina convinced her to go, if only for their peace of mind.
The other teams passed them as Lauren was being loaded into the ambulance. They assured Will and Emma they were fine, that Lauren was just being taken in out of caution. Their replacement vehicle arrived a few minutes later.
…
Kurt knew that as shaken up as he had been when he'd seen the other van slam into the guardrail, Jeff and the others must feel ten times worse. It was enough of a distraction that he completely forgot Adam and Chandler were in the vehicle with him until he overheard the whispered conversation coming from behind him.
"I told you we should have driven," Chandler was saying. "We could have taken off without the hobbit, and taken him somewhere private to convince him he rather be with me!"
…
Blaine just nodded his head at the camera. "Told you, stalkers!"
...
Kurt scoffed and turned around. "And you would have been arrested for kidnapping and unlawful confinement, and I would still never take either one of you back! Get it through your thick skulls! We are over, finished, through! You both had your chance, and you both blew it!"
Chandler seemed to cringe at Kurt's outburst, although Adam just smirked, which irked Kurt even more. He turned back around, rolling his eyes, before catching a glimpse of Blaine in the rearview mirror. The curly haired man was driving, but smiled at Kurt reassuringly before turning his eyes back to the road.
They made the rest of the two hour drive in silence, which normally would have driven Kurt nuts, but this time just gave him a chance to nap, though fitfully.
They arrived at Prang Sam Yod, The Monkey Temple, and located the clue box.
"It's another Roadblock! Who is ready to be groomed?" Blaine said, reading their clue. They could see the other teams already working on the task, which appeared to be piling fruit, vegetables, and other treats in a decorative manor on a table while the free roaming monkeys stole your work.
…
In this Roadblock, the team members who did not participate in the previous Roadblock must work together to construct an offering for the monkeys at this sacred shrine. They may not scold the monkeys for stealing the food before they finish, but must replace anything taken before the judges will give them their next clue.
…
"Looks like it's you and me, Kitten," Adam said, leering at him.
Kurt rolled his eyes. "I hate it when you call me that. Let's just get this over with."
He made a show of giving Blaine a kiss before the two men went to work, while the curly haired man and Chandler joined the others in the crowd gathered around the fence outside the temple grounds.
Kurt paused as they studied the chart showing how to assemble the offering, glancing around at the other teams. Of the two other intersected groups there, Rachel and Brittany seemed to be the only ones making progress. They seemed to have a system worked out. Brittany distracted the monkeys, who seemed to adore her, while Rachel assembled the offering. Wes and Sam kept having to replace the food as the monkeys stole it.
If he could convince Adam to cooperate, he thought they could work out the same method as the two women. He was about to suggest it, when he heard Finn call out from the crowd nearby.
"This monkey hates me!" his stepbrother shouted, as one of the monkeys sitting on the fence next to him howled in the taller man's face. Kurt smiled and shook his head at the antics of the two, and was about to turn back to the task at hand when he spotted him.
Kurt froze and was grateful when Adam failed to notice. The unmistakable form of Sebastian Smythe was standing behind Blaine, which was enough to tell Kurt that maybe he should reconsider the idea that the first time he saw him was a figment of his imagination. But then, what was the meerkat doing here? How did he seem to know where they were going to be? Kurt shuddered and the only person who seemed to notice was Blaine. Though the curly haired man couldn't fathom what was bothering his boyfriend.
"Kurt?" Blaine called out. "Are you okay?" But Kurt didn't reply. He was transfixed on the man who was still standing behind Blaine. His boyfriend couldn't tell where he was looking and so didn't turn to look.
The pale man stayed frozen as the meerkat took another step forward, hands starting to reach for Blaine's hips. From beside him, Adam seemed genuinely concerned for a moment, noting that something was very wrong. But the momentary genuine concern lifted with a smirk as he believed Kurt was finally seeing how wrong for him Blaine was.
"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Kurt suddenly shouted. Everyone in the immediate vicinity froze and turned to look at him. Kurt blinked, feeling the blush start to creep up his face as he lowered his head in embarrassment, wanting to shrink in on himself.
"Kurt?" Blaine called again, concern lacing his voice and when the pale man had the courage to look back up again, Sebastian was gone, leaving no sign that he had ever been there. If his intention was to embarrass Kurt, well than bravo. Objective achieved.
Kurt just shook his head and hunkered down, moving to refocus on the task, wanting to think about anything but what had just happened.
Adam studied Kurt for a moment, contemplating. "Does he know?" the Brit asked in a soft whisper that Kurt could almost have pretended not to hear. Instead he gave a non committal shrug, knowing what Adam was referring to. Even though the attack hadn't been what had triggered his reaction, he could use that as an excuse if Blaine questioned him.
It had happened the night he and Adam had broken up. Kurt had been upset, walking home from what was supposed to have been their one year anniversary date, but had turned into a huge fight when Adam had belittled his efforts when he'd been turned down for the part in Return to Neverland. That had also been the day his mother's brooch had gone missing at work.
He'd heard a noise as he passed the open end of a blind alley, and saw three men beating up another man, tossing out homophobic slurs as they punched and kicked him. Kurt had felt all the pent up anger inside him burst, and he had rushed in to attack the attackers…
He shook his head, forcing the memory back for the moment. "Let's just get this done. Why don't you distract the monkeys while I work on the offering?"
By now, Sue and Becky and Will and Emma had arrived. Kurt could see that Sue was turning red from not being allowed to scold the monkeys as she worked with Will. Refusing to be distracted again, Kurt shut out everything but the task at hand. He was nearly done when he heard Rachel call out for the judge to inspect their work. He didn't look up, but assumed from the cheers that followed from the blonde woman that they had received their clue.
Kurt did look up when Nick, Jeff, Tina and Mike finally arrived. They all looked to be in good condition, but the missing sound person, Zizes, was very noticeable. Mike and Jeff immediately went to work, trying to catch up.
"I'm done!" Kurt called out, signalling for the officiant to check his work, quickly replacing a carrot that a monkey snatched just as the judge arrived. They were given the thumbs up, and their next clues.
They raced back to their respective partners and opened the envelopes.
"You are now once again separate teams! Find the marked cars and drive to Dragon Flight Ziplines in Chiang Mai, and search for your next clue."
Both Kurt and Blaine breathed a sigh of relief at not having to be anchored to the other team. Adam and Chandler looked as if they wished they had gone through with kidnapping Kurt after all. Ignoring them, Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and began running to where he could see the marked cars.
…
They had been on the road for about an hour, hour and a half when Blaine glanced up at Kurt in the rearview mirror. The pale man was studying the map. Next to him, Roderick kept glancing to Spencer, who was seated in the front passenger seat. Blaine hadn't missed their crew's silent exchanges and he was itching to ask them what was up. Maybe he could when they got to the pit stop later or something. There were more important matters at the moment.
"Kurt?" Blaine questioned, glancing once more at his boyfriend through the rearview mirror. The man looked up.
"Yes sweetie?" he said softly, gracing Blaine with one of those gentle closed mouth smiles. The curly haired man couldn't help but smile back at him. What could he say, Kurt's grins were contagious.
The shorter man cleared his throat and gripped the steering wheel just a little tighter. He noticed Spencer glancing at him out of the corner of his eye from behind the camera. He ignored him for the moment. He really didn't want a possible serious conversation filmed but with any luck, it would be edited out later.
…
"I could tell something really had Kurt shaken up, but I didn't know how to ask him about it without upsetting him or worrying him. Frankly, he had me a little spooked. It was almost like seeing Sebastian the other night in the market…"
...
"What was that back there?" he finally asked, cursing himself for starting this conversation that way.
Kurt straightened up and gave Blaine a confused look. "What was what?"
Blaine cleared his throat. "Honey, why did you freak out like that?"
Oh, That. If there was ever a reason to be thankful to Adam, it was for giving him an excuse so he wouldn't have to tell Blaine about seeing Sebastian.
Kurt was quiet for a moment, contemplating how best to breach the subject. The fact that they actually weren't alone in the car kind of unnerved him a bit. He glanced to Roderick and Spencer. "Whatever you hear, stays in this car," he said. He knew they couldn't actually say anything to them, but he made sure they both nodded before drawing a breath.
Blaine glanced at him again in the rearview mirror, wishing he could take a hold of Kurt's hand.
The pale man glanced at the floor of the car for a moment. "When Finn yelled about that monkey," he started, "It triggered a memory, because it sounded similar to some of the sounds from that moment." He paused to give Blaine a chance to say something, but the curly haired man only nodded his head. "It happened the night Adam and I broke up."
…
Kurt quickened his step as he left the restaurant. The quicker he got away from the place, the better. He didn't dare glance over his shoulder to see if Adam was following him. He didn't want to know if he was. But why would he? What reason did Adam have to follow him now? The pale man sniffed. A single tear rolled down his cheek. It was over. The very day they were celebrating a year, and it was over.
He let his mind roll back into the memories, something he probably shouldn't have been doing. Adam was his first real serious relationship. Except if he counted Chandler, which Kurt wasn't entirely sure he would count. Did having someone cling to you for five months count as a serious relationship, especially if one of you just thought you were friends?
He shook those thoughts from his mind, trying to free himself from thinking about either of them. Was it normal to reminisce about your exes when you broke up with someone?
His brain didn't get a chance to provide him with a reply. A sudden sound cut into his thoughts and Kurt stopped short. It was coming from an alleyway up ahead.
"You want some? You want some, fag?!" a voice yelled out. Kurt didn't need to hear more to know what was going on. He approached the alleyway, cautiously at first. "Take that!"
There was a grunt as though someone had just had the wind knocked out of him. "Please!" came the pleading voice. Kurt quickened his step. "Just let me go. I promise I will forget you guys!"
Laughter filled the air. "Let you go? So you can sprinkle more fairy dust on the good people of this country? I don't think so!"
There was another grunt and Kurt hurried to the alleyway. He didn't even stop to think about his actions.
"Hey! Leave him alone!" he shouted. The attention went from the poor guy doubled over to Kurt standing in the entry to the alleyway.
"Look! Now we got two of them!" one of the attackers said with a smirk.
"I'm not afraid of you!" Kurt shouted. And he wasn't, he really wasn't. "I've dealt with haters like you my whole life! It sickens me how you keep trying to beat down something you can't understand!"
One of the attackers snarled as his friend grabbed a brick, hiding the offending object from Kurt's view. "You've got a big mouth fag!" said the guy who snarled. Kurt slightly glanced to the other guy, who was now forgotten as the attackers' full attention was on Kurt. The poor guy seemed to take the hint. He scrambled to his feet and took off running.
"I say we make an example out of this fag," another of the attackers said. A chuckle left his companions.
"I say you're right."
Kurt stood his ground, despite knowing what might be coming. Better it be him than the other poor guy. He narrowed his eyes. Let them see he wasn't scared. Even if his insides were screaming in terror.
He would never know the exact extent of what happened that night. He'd been hit in the head with a brick, his consciousness swimming in and out until they'd punched him out completely. He vaguely remembered the sound of feet hitting the pavement as they ran.
…
"They were never caught," Kurt finished. "Despite getting a clear view of them, the injuries to my head affected my memory. Details are still fuzzy at best."
Blaine was quiet for a moment, the color had drained from his face. "I'm so sorry that happened to you love," he said, glancing at Kurt through the rearview mirror again.
"It's okay," Kurt said. "I saved another guy from that kind of disaster, and I would do it again. But, can we not talk about it anymore?"
"Of course. Whatever you need."
...
They reached their destination late that evening, as it began to rain again. They could see Santana and Brittany, and Finn and Rachel sitting in their cars outside the zipline adventure park, even as Wes and David and Sam and Mercedes arrived.
"There's a hotel up the street," Kurt said, rolling his window down as he pulled up next to the Latina and the blonde woman. "Maybe we should get rooms for the night?"
Finn had pulled his raincoat on and walked over to join them. "I don't know if we can afford a room."
Kurt shrugged. "Let's see how much it is. Maybe we can split the cost."
The other teams followed them to the hotel, and Kurt spoke to the woman at the desk. By now all the teams were there except Nick and Jeff. Will and Emma decided to get a small room to themselves, as did Sue and Becky and Adam and Chandler. The others decided to pull their resources and get one large suite. Kurt couldn't believe their luck when the woman quoted the price to them. He thanked her, and complimented her on the lovely sapphire and emerald choker she was wearing.
…
It was almost midnight when Nick and Jeff reached the zipline place. It was closed, of course, and it was pouring rain. There was a hotel just a block over, so they decided to get a room for the night. They weren't surprised to find most of the teams already there. Despite the lateness of the hour, Kurt and Blaine had been waiting for them, worried.
"Are you alright?" Kurt asked, hugging both of them.
"Physically? We're fine," Nick said, hugging him back, "but Jeff is still pretty shaken up."
The blonde man looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes. Kurt patted his shoulder. "It's natural to be shaken up after something like that, but it wasn't your fault. I don't know if you saw or heard from one of the other teams, but we saw the police catch the car that crashed into you about thirty miles down the road. They were drunk.
"It could have been a hell of a lot worse, but I have to tell you, I was really impressed with your driving skills. Most people would have panicked and slammed on the breaks, which would most likely have caused the van to flip over."
Jeff smiled shyly at him. "Thanks, Kurt. My uncle taught me how to drive. He was a stunt driver at Walt Disney World's Lights, Motors, Action show before they changed it, and he's been in a couple of the Fast and Furious films, too."
Blaine smiled. "I'm sure he'd be very proud of you today."
"Come on," Kurt said. "Several of us pitched in for a suite, There's room for both of you to join us. Take a long, hot shower and get some sleep. The zipline place doesn't open until ten."
"That must have been expensive," Nick said. "We should pitch in…"
Kurt shook his head, interrupting before the man could continue. "It wasn't that much, it's the off season, apparently, plus it's a family owned hotel. It came to just under fifty US dollars for the night, and there will be seven teams sharing it; you, us, Santana and Brittany, Sam and Mercedes, Wes and David, Tina and Mike, and Finn and Rachel."
"Are you sure?" Jeff asked.
In response, Kurt took the blonde man's bag, while Blaine grabbed Nick's, and lead them to the elevator. "We've already ordered breakfast, too. So, like I said, shower and sleep. Tomorrow will be a new day."
…
At ten am, the ten teams made their way to the clue box just inside the gates of the zipline park, and opened their clues.
"Take a flight through the trees, and collect colored ribbons as you go!"
…
"In this task, teams will zip along ten different aerial courses, including seven ziplines, a skywalk, and two suspension bridges, collecting six different colored ribbons suspended along the course; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. It doesn't matter which team member manages to grab the ribbons, but if they drop one, or grab two of the same colors, they must start the course over. Once they present all six colored ribbons to the guide at the end of the course, they will receive their next clue."
…
Will smiled at Emma as she allowed herself to be strapped into the harnesses. Unlike last season, the redhead had approached the platform with a smile on her face, showing no fear. His fiance had come so far in the last nine months. He'd been surprised when she had been the one to convince him to try coming on the race again when they were offered the chance.
They had put off their wedding to come on the race this time. Emma hadn't wanted a big wedding, so they had planned just a small gathering at the school they both worked at during Valentine's week, but had switched it to later in the semester so they could participate.
At first, Will thought Emma had just been looking for an excuse to call off the wedding because she was afraid of commitment, but she had assured him that had nothing to do with it, and that she wanted to marry him, today, tomorrow, next week, whenever, but they couldn't pass up this chance. And besides, Mercedes had called Emma a few days before and told her about the plan she and Tina had hatched, and Emma had been excited to help out.
…
"I think I've become a little bit of an adrenaline junkie," Emma said, looking at the camera with a shy smile. "After doing the zipline last season, I've actually thought about trying it again, so this was kind of like fate. And the cliff diving in New Zealand, that was so much fun! I think I could probably do that again!"
Will smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'm marrying Lara Croft!"
...
They approached the first zipline in fourth place behind Santana and Brittany, Kurt and Blaine and Tina and Mike, and as soon as they were given the all clear, the fae woman blew Will a kiss, and stepped off the platform, letting out a laugh of joy as she began the rushing descent.
…
"Show off!" Blaine laughed as he watched Kurt flip upside down to collect their fourth ribbon as they glided through the air, his LIKES BOYS t-shirt coming untucked and giving Blaine an eyeful of creamy skin. They could hear Brittany's babbling laughter from somewhere in front of them, and Tina's excited shrieks behind them as they moved through the course. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was almost possible to forget for the moment that they were in a competition, instead of just a group of friends having a great time.
They reached the next platform, the skywalk, and Blaine took the lead this time as they made their way along the narrow, clear plexiglass pathway suspended among the treetops.
"What colors do we still need?" He asked the pale man.
"Blue and yellow," Kurt said.
Blaine looked around, spotting green and purple ribbons, but no blue or yellow. They moved on to the next course, another zipline, but this one was a horizontal course, meaning the clip was behind you, and you flew through the trees like Superman.
"There's a blue one!" Kurt called out from behind him, and Blaine spotted the ribbon dangling a little to his right. The curly haired man reached out his hand as he drew closer, and managed to snag it as he passed.
The next course was the second suspension bridge. Kurt was in the lead again, navigating the wood and rope bridge that swayed precariously with every step. They spotted more red and orange ribbons, but still no yellow, so they moved on to the final course, the last zipline. This one had wooden seats for them to sit on as they glided through the trees.
Kurt spotted the yellow ribbon halfway through, but was going a little too fast, and couldn't reach it in time. He swore, and called out over his shoulder. "I missed it, grab it!"
Blaine had just enough time to lean out to his left and just barely caught it. It almost slipped from his fingers, but he managed to hold on, waving it in triumph over his head as Kurt cheered.
They reached the end of the course, and were lowered to the ground, where they presented the ribbons to the guide, and received their clue.
As they left the zipline adventure park, they passed the hotel they had stayed at the night before, only now there was a police car parked in front of the office. Kurt frowned. There seemed to be police officers everywhere he went.
…
Jeff swore as he watched the orange ribbon slip through his fingers and fall to the forest floor below. They'd only needed two more ribbons, orange and yellow, to complete the course, and now they would have to start over. He was beginning to think that the third leg was their jinx. Once again everything was going wrong, and he was convinced they were going to be eliminated.
Sighing, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If they were eliminated, then so be it. Winning wasn't part of the plan, anyway. This was about enjoying the challenges, spending time with Nick, and just having fun. The accident had shaken him up more than he'd let on, and it was still affecting him. He had to let it go.
As they returned to the start of the course, Nick wrapped his arms around him. "Have I told you today I love you?"
Jeff smiled. He knew Nick understood what was going on in his head, and loved him even more for it. "Everytime you smile at me."
Nick grinned and kissed him. "Let's have some fun."
Jeff laughed. "Okay."
On their second time through the course, Jeff allowed the joy of flying through the air fill him, and they found all six of their ribbons. Even though he knew they were in last place, he was laughing and grinning as they opened their clue.
"Drive to the Elephant Retirement Park in Chiang Mai and search for your next clue!"
…
Brittany was practically bouncing with excitement as they read the clue.
"Detour! Bathe or Feed?"
…
"In this detour, teams must choose between two common tasks at the Elephant Retirement Park. In Bathe, teams must lead an elephant to the mud baths and allow them to roll around until they are content, and then lead them to the nearby stream to rinse off. Once they have scrubbed the elephant clean, and the caregivers have checked the animal for any open sores, they will receive their next clue.
"In Feed, teams will learn the proper way to care for the elephants, and prepare five meals for the pachyderms. Once the elephants have eaten their fill, teams will lead them to the nearby stream for playtime. Once all five elephants are in the water, teams will receive their next clue."
…
"Can we feed the elephants, Tana? Please?"
Santana smiled at the blonde woman, unable to resist the childlike wonder the other woman always exuded. "Sure, Brit, we can feed the elephants."
She held hands with the blue eyed girl as she skipped towards the feeding task. The caregivers introduced them to the gentle giants, and showed them how to chop the hay (Santana shuddered at the sight, but didn't say anything, not wanting to upset Brittany,) and small leafy branches, and how to feed the elephants apples, yams, carrots, cabbages, bananas, and other fruits and veggies.
Brittany was as enamored of the large beasts as they were of her. Just as with the sheep, sharks, and monkeys at previous tasks, the animals seemed drawn to the otherworldly girl. Even the caregivers were in awe of her.
They were leading their five elephants to the stream when Kurt and Blaine and Tina and Mike arrived. Tina and Mike chose Bathe, while Kurt and Blaine chose Feed.
Other teams arrived as Santana and Brittany received their clue.
"Drive to the Pit Stop, Nong Buak Hard Park Fountain."
…
"This beautiful city park is located along the old city wall of Chiang Mai, and is a popular place to visit for flower lovers, as well as those who enjoy nature walks. This stunning fountain at the heart of the park is the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check in here, may be eliminated."
…
"Phil? They're on the way," Marley said, handing him a bottle of water. "Mr. Goolsby will be right out, he said something about t-shirts for the losers or something."
"I always buy t-shirts for the losers," said the tall, dark haired man with pale eyes.
Phil wasn't certain what the man was talking about, but they didn't have time for questions as the first team came into view, and they had to take their positions.
"Welcome to Chiang Mai, Thailand! Congratulations, you aren't losers!"
Phil almost frowned, as flashes of last season's greeters ran through his head, but forced a smile.
"Santana and Brittany, you are team number one!"
"Do you know what I had to deal with today, Phil?" Santana glared at the host. "Hay, Phil! I told you I didn't want to see so much as a single piece of hay!"
The host actually swallowed visibly, afraid the Latina might actually hurt him for a moment, until he noticed the twinkle in her eyes.
"As the winners of this leg of the race, you have won ten thousand dollars, that you can spend after the race!"
Santana smiled at him. "Good thing. Someone still owes me a manicure from the last race!"
"Kurt and Blaine, you are team number two!"
"Tina and Mike, you are team number three!"
…
Will stared at Emma in awe as the young elephant she had just fed a whole pumpkin to brushed the hair off her face with its trunk, and she didn't even flinch, just laughed and kissed it between the eyes. She really was making great strides in getting better.
They finished feeding their five elephants, and followed the caregiver to the stream with them, getting their clue at the same time as Sam and Mercedes, who had chosen the Bathe detour.
...
"Will and Emma, you are team number four!"
"Sam and Mercedes, you are team number five!"
"Adam and Chandler, you are team number six!"
"Sue and Becky, you are team number seven!"
…
Nick watched as Finn and Rachel received their clue at the Bathe detour, leaving just them and Wes and David at Feed. It looked like history would repeat itself, but that was fine. Maybe they weren't meant to make it past the third leg in the race. Nick didn't mind, though. As long as he had Jeff at his side, life would always be an adventure.
Wes and David led their elephants out of the feeding area, and towards the water as Nick finished loading the hay into the troughs, while Jeff began feeding the inquisitive animals cabbages and pumpkins. Nick couldn't help smiling as one of the elephants hugged Jeff with its trunk. The blonde man grinned and hugged the creature back, before glancing over at Nick.
"I don't care if we get eliminated," Jeff said, "I got hugged by an elephant!"
Nick laughed, and leaned over to kiss him.
…
"Finn and Rachel, you are team number eight!"
"Wes and David, you are team number nine!"
Phil watched the two men make their way to the mat, seeing the laughter in their eyes.
"Nick and Jeff, you are the last team to arrive," he intoned, expression blank.
Both men just smiled.
"We figured," Jeff said. "We're cool with it. Today was an amazing day, and nothing can take that away from us."
Nick hugged the taller man, kissing him. "Yesterday was kind of a stressful day, but we've learned that life goes on. Yesterday is in the past, and we can't change it. Tomorrow isn't promised, so today is all we have."
Phil smiled at them. "Well, you'll be pleased to hear that Lauren is going to be just fine, and will be back with the teams tomorrow, so you two better be ready to keep up." They looked at him in confusion for a moment, and his smile grew. "This is a non elimination leg, and you both are still in the race!"
"Yes!" Jeff shouted, jumping up and down and hugging Nick.
"Alright!" Nick said, laughing.
"Now, as you know, we are doing things a little different this season. In the past, we've had a few different penalties for teams that came in last," He pulled a small velvet pouch out from his back pocket. "In this bag are four tiles. Three of them represent previous penalties: Speed Bump, Marked for Elimination, and Lose all Possessions and Cash. The fourth tile is blank. One of you will reach into the bag and draw a tile. If you draw a tile with one of the punishments on it, that is the punishment you will receive for the next leg of the race. If you draw the blank tile, you will receive no punishment. Which one of you wants to draw?"
They exchanged a look, and Jeff shrugged. "I'll do it."
Phil held the bag out for him, and the blonde man reached inside. After a moment, he pulled out a yellow tile with the Speed Bump symbol on it. The host took the tile and held it up. "This means that at some point on the next leg of the race, you will encounter a Speed Bump, a challenge that only you must perform. If you can complete it and still reach the mat before at least one other team, you will remain in the race."
"Thank you, Phil!" Jeff said, hugging the host. Nick also hugged him, before they were led away.
